diff --git a/tools/idf_tools.py b/tools/idf_tools.py
index 158b5a764..6a4674da6 100755
--- a/tools/idf_tools.py
+++ b/tools/idf_tools.py
@@ -1339,10 +1339,16 @@ def main(argv):
         global_idf_path = args.idf_path
     if not global_idf_path:
         global_idf_path = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+    os.environ['IDF_PATH'] = global_idf_path
 
     global global_idf_tools_path
     global_idf_tools_path = os.environ.get('IDF_TOOLS_PATH') or os.path.expanduser(IDF_TOOLS_PATH_DEFAULT)
 
+    # On macOS, unset __PYVENV_LAUNCHER__ variable if it is set.
+    # Otherwise sys.executable keeps pointing to the system Python, even when a python binary from a virtualenv is invoked.
+    # See https://bugs.python.org/issue22490#msg283859.
+    os.environ.pop('__PYVENV_LAUNCHER__', None)
+
     if sys.version_info.major == 2:
         try:
             global_idf_tools_path.decode('ascii')